Iconic dealer Jim Pattison sees radical change coming to auto industry

Jim Pattison says dealerships will have fewer staff in the future, he said, and smaller physical footprints, perhaps with several brands under one roof like a high-end department store housing individual boutiques. (Steve Mertl)

July 31, 2017 05:00 AM

VANCOUVER -- Jimmy Pattison sold his first used car, a 1939 Dodge almost 70 years ago, but the billionaire entrepreneur’s vision of the auto-sales business is not clouded by nostalgia.

Featured Stories

Stellantis joins Ford with employee pricing discounts

Dealership buy-sell database updates: Top 150 groups included in 10 deals across eight states

Trump’s tariffs challenge Korea and other industry friends

Here’s our list of the 2025 Top 150 dealership groups

Latest News

Live updates on tariffs: Ford, Stellantis offer employee discounts; China retaliates; Mexico seeks solution

Hyundai, Genesis won’t raise vehicle prices over the next two months

What automakers are saying about vehicle prices with tariffs in effect

Daily 5 report for April 4: Does Mexico know something that Canada doesn’t on tariff talks?

Staying current is easy with newsletters delivered straight to your inbox.

See More in Newsletters

Guest commentary: For Akio Toyoda’s sake, he must listen to Toyota’s dissatisfied shareholders and reform strategy

Top 5 stories of the week: Women in auto; Birchwood’s latest buy; GM improves profit; more

Automotive News Europe awards the 2024 Eurostars

Top 5 stories of the week: Northvolt woes; Alpha’s big buy; all-stars; and more

Staying current is easy with newsletters delivered straight to your inbox.